


Beyond The Gray Sky

by get_glitch3d



Category: Chatroom (2010)
Genre: F/M, THIS MOVIE WAS ARTISTIC TO ME, im sorry, ofc doesn't have issues like the other characters, possible trigger warning, that says a lot about me, this is my shortest fic ever, this movie hit me like a ton of bricks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 05:24:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3884005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/get_glitch3d/pseuds/get_glitch3d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>William's girlfriend has never been more concerned, she never had a reason to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Last Session

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, please let me hold you, you're too precius for this world.

"William?" AJ called out, knocking on the door to her boyfriend's home. He was seventeen and his parents watched him like he was seven. "Will!" She shouted, sighing when no one came to the door. She looked around and used a few things in his yard to climb up the wall. She had something to tell him.

She found a sticky not on his window pointed outward. He expected her to climb the wall, smart cookie. It had a simple note on it. 

_Went to therapy a bit earlier, last session._

She smiled to herself and held onto the window's outer surface, she pulled a window marker from her pocket and wrote backwards. 

We can celebrate your freedom of the therapist and I'll tell you my news.

She wrote it kind of small, signing with her name. AJ was her choice of name, her parents named her Alice Justine. Of course her last name is Clover, that she was okay with. AJ Clover. She never liked Alice, when she were younger people would ask if she fell down a rabbit hole. It was annoying to her.

She had a simple, happy life. Her parents weren't overly strict, she was sixteen and she had a sibling. A sister. Eighteen. Her dad worked and her mom stayed at home, and she had two cats. She got good grades and was well-mannered. Everything was fine.

AJ let go of the window and carefully, and also quickly, fell to the ground, catching herself and standing to run down the block, running quickly to her house. "Hey, mum!" AJ said as she burst through the front door, darting up the stairs. Just as she did her phone rang, she answers it while walking into her room, going for her dresser as she dropped her messenger bag on her bed.

"Hello?"

" _ **Hi!**_ " Squealed someone on the other line. AJ smiled to herself and pulled a shirt out of her dresser, pulling hers off quickly.

"Hey, Cath." She greeted her friend.

" _ **So, did you tell William?**_ " Catherine asked, her voice full of questioning concern. 

"He wasn't home."

" _ **Just call him.**_ " Catherine brushed off, probably kicking her feet up in the air. 

"I need to tell him in person, Cath." AJ sighed softly, adjusting her band black and red splattered shirt that had white underneath the blood like splotches. 

" _ **No, you don't!**_ "

"Yes, I do! Cath, it's-" Her phone buzzed and she moved it from her ear to check it. 

_Incoming Call: William Rollins ___

__"William is calling, just... I'll tell you later." AJ replied stubbornly, hanging up to accept the call from William._ _

__" _ **Thanks for writing that backwards for me.**_ " William said, a slight smile in his voice. She could hear it, he rarely smiled anymore. _ _

__"Yeah, no problem. How was therapy?"_ _

__" _ **A bunch of bullshit about getting better and now the therapist thinks she is apart of the family or something.**_ " William told her, his voice harsher now._ _

__AJ rested her messenger bag strap over her shoulder, the bag at her hip, swinging as she walked down the stairs and told her parents she was leaving._ _

__"Good, if she wants to join Ripley could leave." AJ told him, causing William to chuckle. "Hey, I'm coming over, is that cool?"_ _

__" _ **Yeah, you know my parents love you.**_ " William told her, shaking his head as he did._ _

__"I'm a nice kid, they think I'm gonna be some saving grace, if they wanted that, they should of shooed me away and found a chick named Grace." AJ muttered, walking down the block to William's house._ _

__" _ **I started going into the chat rooms again.**_ " William informed, something dropped on his end of the line and cursed, leaning down to pick it up._ _

__"Will!" AJ complained, stopping her walk. "You can't! You know what happens when you do, those chat rooms are shit." She finished, continuing to walk down the street._ _

__" _ **AJ, I'm not seven, okay? I know. But you weren't awake and I was bored.**_ " William explained as she started to run to his house because walking was too slow. AJ knocked on the door and looked up, watching William come to his bedroom window and look down at her._ _

__"I know you aren't seven, but you know those chat rooms got me into trouble, and you somewhat." AJ shrugged as she continued to stare at him through the window. She heard a yell, more like a call for who was getting the door._ _

__"Oh, hi, sweetheart." Mrs. Rollins smiled softly as she opened the door, letting AJ come in._ _

__"I'm hanging up now, okay?" AJ mumbled into the phone and closed it, tucking it into her pocket as she smiled at the older woman before rushing up the stairs to William's room._ _

__"I have something to tell you." AJ told him as she knocked on his open door, walking into his room. William sat up in his chair as AJ threw herself on his bed._ _

__"Keep the door open!" The two heard William's father yell and AJ rolled her eyes, tucking her hands behind her head._ _

__"What's your news?" He asked, his accented voice unique to everyone she knew in the UK._ _

__She sat up and reached into her bag and rifled through it quickly, pulling something out. "I got you something." She said, standing up to give it to him, dropping her messenger bag at her feet as she sat on his lap, straddling him._ _

__William smirked slightly as he leaned back to watch her, she carefully opened the box she held and handed it to him. "That's your news? Condoms?" He asked, an eyebrow raised._ _

__"No, no, under those. Those help but under!" She told him, pulling the small stack of condoms off it. Beneath it there was a chain with a small, pocket watch styled clock on the end. On the back there was something engraved, he probably wouldn't see it for a while._ _

__"Is this so I'll never be later for tea?" He grinned, watching AJ smack his shoulder._ _

__"Bite me, Will. It's a present." AJ warned, tilting her head as she pulled it from the box, William set down the remains of it on his desk and his hands found her hips, one slipping over her ass as she slowly unclipped the chain, William moving to kiss her neck as she put it around his neck, clasping it quickly._ _

__"It's so you'll always have me with you."_ _

__"For someone who hates Wonderland jokes, you sure seem pretty involved in it." William joked against her skin, nipping softly at the skin and AJ rested her hips against his, her hands moving to the sides of his face to pull him back._ _

__"It's interesting." AJ defended, kissing him quickly as one of William's hand moved up her back, beneath her shirt. His fingers trailing up her spine, turning the short kiss into a long, hot kiss. William's hand fumbled for the condoms on his desk as AJ stood and pulled him by his hoodie to his bed._ _

__"Close the door." AJ told him, pulling off his hoodie as he backed up to close the door quietly before clamoring back to fall onto AJ as she kicked off her shoes, pulling her shirt off quickly. His lips found their way across her grey lace clad chest, and she pulled off his shirt too, only to have his bedroom door burst open and his father come through._ _

__William immediately sat upright to shield AJ from view, his father looked angry and only a little embarrassed. "I said keep the door open, AJ leave." He instructed, shaking his head. "You have two minutes, William get downstairs."_ _

__As his father left, William let out an angry groan and flipped off the door, turning to AJ. She was already pulling on her shirt._ _

__"I'm sorry." AJ muttered, pulling her shirt on as she gave William a quick peck on his cheek._ _

__"So am I." William replied, scratching the back of his neck at the uncomfortable feeling that had settled in the room got a bit thicker. AJ pulled her bag over her shoulder and stood up after getting on her shoes, she kissed his lips quickly and went to his bedroom door, waving as she walked out._ _

__William followed suit just as his father began scolding him, it'd be a hell of a dinner tonight. AJ walked out of his house, rubbing her forehead as she did. She heard yelling from the inside as she walked down the street. By the time she got home, her mom had already made dinner._ _

__"Mrs. Rollins called." Her mother watching her, AJ suddenly felt uneasy._ _

__"What did she say?" AJ asked, sitting down at the dinner table as her mom put a plate in front of her._ _

__"Just that you were over there, I wasn't expecting you to come back so early. Usually you and William 'hang out' for a while and then you come around." Her mother replied, AJ let out a breath of relief as her mother smiled, kissing her temple._ _

__"Shall we pray?" That was another thing her family did, pray. And go to church. They said grace and then began eating._ _

__"Lottie, pass the potatoes." AJ asked of her sister, she handed her the large bowl and soon enough everyone's plates were full, AJ's phone began buzzing halfway through dinner. She pulled it out of her pocket, looking at it underneath the table only to look up and see her family watching her._ _

__"May I be excused?" AJ questioned, already standing as her mother nodded quickly. "Go ahead."_ _

__"Thanks." She muttered, answering the phone as soon as she was clear of the dining room. "Hey, William, is somet-"_ _

__" _ **I'm outside.**_ "_ _

__"What?"_ _

__" _ **Your house.**_ "_ _

__"I thought you meant Buckingham Palace." AJ replied, going through the living room to the sliding glass door. "Come around back, I'll let you in."_ _

__She heard his quick response and then he hung up, he was at the door in no time. She slid it open and he stepped in, watching her. "What's wrong?" She asked, he kissed her quickly. "William, tell me. My family is having dinner."_ _

__He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I met some new people."_ _

__"Over the internet?" AJ furrowed her eyebrows, watching him nod. "I wanna join." She sighed, watching him._ _

__William shook his head. "It's more for, uh..." He trailed off, trying to keep her out of it._ _

__"Alice!" Her mother called, the woman coming into the room. She saw William there and furrowed her eyebrows._ _

__"William!" She smiled slightly, tilting her head. "Shouldn't you be at home?"_ _

__"I was just going." He replied, pointing to the door._ _

__"Wait!" AJ stopped him, holding his arm to quickly kiss him. "You'll make it, okay? If your family is the worst thing to happen to you, then that's fine." She whispered, watching his eyes. She was the one constantly reassuring him that he'd be okay. Always._ _


	2. Stopping Time Wouldn't Undo The Damage He's Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AJ gets news that hits her like a ton of bricks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Trigger warning for this chapter. Description of suicide that was in the movie and also suicide reaction from AJ.

_**Willy_Wonka: I hate Ripley, he called yesterday.** _

AJ turned around to check her computer, tapping the enter screen to see William's chat come up. He never changed it, he said it was a name for ironic purposes. 

_**Mad_Hatter: What's new about that?** _

_**Willy_Wonka: He thinks he can just run about and be the good little son and everyone forgets about me.** _

AJ sighed softly, shaking her head as she typed.

_**Mad_Hatter: It's not like you want to be noticed, Will.  
Mad_Hatter: If you did, you wouldn't have this problem. ** _

_**Willy_Wonka: Thanks for stating the obvious, Alice.** _

__**Mad_Hatter: Why the sudden name change?**  
Mad_Hatter: Will.  
Mad_Hatter: William.  
Mad_Hatter: WILLIAM! 

_**Willy_Wonka: Sorry, I'm just annoyed** _

_**Mad_Hatter: At me?** _

_**Willy_Wonka: No, at my bloody family.** _

_**Mad_Hatter: Are you sure it's just your family?** _

_**Willy_Wonka: No.  
Willy_Wonka: Sorry I called you Alice.** _

_**Mad_Hatter: It's fine, can I ask you something?** _

_**Willy_Wonka: Yeah, shoot.** _

__**Mad_Hatter: Did you check the back of the present I got you?**  
Mad_Hatter: The clock I mean.  
Mad_Hatter: William?  
Mad_Hatter: William, I swear to God. 

It had been a few minutes, she was worried he checked and automatically didn't feel the same way. 

_**Last message not sent, Willy_Wonka may have gone offline.** _

A frown formed on AJ's face as she closed the chat before logging out of her desktop. There was a knock on her open door, her mother at the door as she turned around. “Hey.” She smiled slightly as her mother came over. “You okay?” Her mother questioned, watching her.

AJ nodded slightly, watching her mother tenderly put a hand on her cheek, watching her. “Are you sure? Are things okay with William?”

“Yeah, everything is fine.” AJ lied, her voice holding a steady volume, not too high or too low. She was a good liar, not that she ever really needed to lie. “He's just a bit off lately, being lifted of therapy has kind of given him some free time, he doesn't know what to do with it.”

“His father, Paul, says he's been rude lately.”

“He's lying.” AJ immediately defended, standing up. “William is going through shit, they know that.”

“Alice, watch your language.” Her mother warned, her voice firm. AJ relaxed, tension in her shoulders as she stared at her mother. “Besides, I wasn't attacking him personally, Alice, you don't have to defend him all the time.”

“He's my boyfriend.”

“Exactly, not your husband.” Her mother told her, shaking her head before walking out. A few hours passed before another message dinged on her computer, she checked it quickly and saw that it was William.

_**Willy_Wonka: My dad found a video on my computer.** _

_**Mad_Hatter: What, like porn?** _

__**Willy_Wonka: No...  
Willy_Wonka: I might be grounded soon, he was poking around my computer.   
Willy_Wonka: That's how he found the video.**

__**Mad_Hatter: What kind of video was it?  
Willy_Wonka has sent you a file! Click to open!  
Mad_Hatter: I'll watch it in a sec. **

AJ downloaded it quickly and opened it, a girl was showing her picture to the screen. She didn't understand the language she was speaking, the girl set down the picture and went to her window, opening it and stepping on the ledge. AJ's right hand covered her mouth as the girl fell, her eyes widened in shock at what she just saw. She closed it and deleted it from her files.

_**Willy_Wonka: I found it interesting.** _

_**Mad_Hatter: Will, that's sick to have downloaded.** _

_**Willy_Wonka: I know.  
Willy_Wonka: My parents are outside my door.** _

_**Mad_Hatter: Don't do anything rash, Will.** _

_**Willy_Wonka: It isn't me you have to worry about.  
Willy_Wonka has gone offline. ** _

AJ took a deep breath, shaking her head. She was getting ready for bed when her phone buzzed. 

_**William Rollins:  
The fucker took my phone and computer.** _

_**Reply:  
Then how the hell are you texting me?** _

_**William Rollins:  
Second phone** _

_**Reply:  
Babe, please don't get ahead of yourself. ** _

William didn't reply to her and AJ settled into her bed, her phone on her nightstand left to charge as she slowly fell asleep. She was worried. That was clear. She needed sleep for the book launch for tomorrow, she promised Will she'd go. In the morning, she got up and very quickly got dressed, running to the area where it was happening.

“Hey!” She grinned excitedly at her boyfriend, linking arms with him. His mother began a short speech, and AJ kissed William's temple as Ripley nodded to him, trying to get him on stage. “Go.” AJ whispered, knowing full well he didn't want to. As he got up there, his mother finished her speech and people began to talk more. 

AJ took a glass of champagne, discreetly sipping it as she heard a ringer go off amongst the commotion. She turned her head with furrowed brows to see William with his back turned, typing on his second phone as his father approached him. “Oh, no.” She whispered, watching the scene unfold. His father reached for the device as William shoved him back, causing a scene. AJ watched him stare at everyone, and glance to her as she handed someone her drink, asking them to hold it. 

William ran off with AJ yelling after him. “Will! Wait!” She called, turning to look at the people there and Will's father on the ground. She sighed to herself and shook her head. “You people can't leave him be.” She muttered angrily, walking away as she did. He'd probably be at his house, so she went home herself. She didn't know whether to be angry at Will's family, William or herself. 

He shouldn't have had that phone, but his father shouldn't have fought him. She had a strange feeling in her stomach, like something bad was going to happen. She'd never relied too much on her mind, or her gut, but the last two times she had this feeling she was right. Those two times were when her father almost died of lung cancer and when her mother was almost mugged. 

And this feeling told her something really bad was about to happen to Will. She got on computer and very quickly typed a message. 

_**Mad_Hatter: I love you.  
Mad_Hatter: Where are you? ** _

She didn't get a message saying that he was offline, so she texted him the same things. If they didn't receive through his computer they would go to his email. The day went on as normal, until she was getting ready for bed when her mother called her downstairs. 

“What's up?” She asked with a smile on her face, regardless of the pit in her stomach. Her family was gathered in the living room and she furrowed her eyebrows. “Are we having a movie night or something?”

“Sweetheart, what was the last thing you said to William?”

“Honestly?” AJ asked, tilting her head. She sighed to herself, shaking her head of negative thoughts. “I told him I love him, why?”

Her mother turned to look at her father with sad eyes, who in turn looked at her sister before looking at AJ. “Alice,” her father began, he licked his lips to rephrase his sentence as he watched his daughter step closer to the sofa. “William...”

“What?” AJ questioned, letting out a gentle laugh as she smiled slightly, confused. “Dad, what were you gonna say? William, what? Is he okay?”

“He's dead, sweetheart. He committed suicide.” Her mother told her with a soft voice, watching her daughter's smile drop, turning into a frown as her mind processed the information. “W-When, uh, when did this happen?”

“Earlier today.” Her sister replied, watching AJ swallow harshly. Her eyes were red as she took a deep breathe, the feeling in her gut moving to her chest and her throat. She felt like she was being strangled, she couldn't breathe. 

“I don't...” She trailed off, shaking her head. Her eyesight was blurry as her parents stood, her legs felt weak as she leaned on the sofa, falling over as her parents called her name. “Alice!” They shouted, running to her side. She could only think of one thing as they quickly tried to get her up.

_He's finally free._


	3. Got It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AJ's found closure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After months of not doing anything with this, I've finished it. Sorry about any mistakes, I wrote this spur of the moment on my phone.

"I'll come pick you up when you're done." Flora, AJ's mother, said. She smiled as she did, gently laying her hand across her daughter's forearm. "Just ring me."

"You got it." AJ nodded slightly, a forced smile curling up on her lips. "I think we're really making progress." She told her mother. Only to make her happy. They were repeated words from her therapist. She recited them in front of her mirror daily.

It didn't help any, though.

William was gone. It had been a year and he was gone. AJ was coming up on eighteen, seeing as how William committed suicide near her birthday. He hadn't planned to, she knew that. Sure, he'd talk about it sometimes, he even considered it, but he'd never go through with it. 

Or so she thought.

The timing of his death was fatal attraction, of sorts. Death near the celebration of life, of birth. Poetic, in a way. AJ met the people who William met through the chat rooms, like it'd make it all better. Like it would justify what he did. Somehow she thought, or her therapist did, that meeting his cyber bullying victims would grant closure.

It didn't. 

They viewed him as a monster. That's what he was to them. Horrible. Condescending. Terrifying, in some ways. He was sadistic and AJ didn't really know it. She was, thankfully, not granted passage to that ever-opened, unhinged door that was increasingly a part of him.

When she first met them, she shook it off. She tried telling them it wasn't true. She tried telling them lovely stories about him. She forced the stories on them, at one point. It didn't help.

It didn't help that his father, Paul, was "happy he was in a better place" and his mother... She still cried. That was her baby. She lost her son, her second son. Her youngest son. Ripley, if you caught it at the right time, would roll his eyes during family interviews for book releases. He'd shake his head, too.

AJ came to understand that he was the definition of a tortured soul. She tried to find other people like him, like it was an abuse she craved. She hasn't even known that side of him, why did she want it? She wanted to feel closer. 

Of course, as she pushed open the doors of the therapist's office building, she shook these from her head. These thoughts would never see the light of day, or her therapist's light.

Her therapist would take the information, crush it up, feed it back to AJ's parents and then they'd consult like he had before. 

AJ learned to repeat things to herself so she could tell then to her therapist. She'd alter the truth like a tailor would a suit. She take out some pieces and stitch others back together. The things would make sense, but the pieces wouldn't fit exactly.

"I don't know" filled the vacant spots perfectly. 

"Hello, dear." The receptionist smiled politely.

Everyone smiles. AJ hates that. If it's not William's, it doesn't look right. 

"What can I help you with?"

"I'm Alice Clover, I'm here to see Doctor Morgan." AJ replied, standing a foot from the desk. Her arms were hanging limply at her sides. She was using her index fingers to cross over her middle fingers. She often does that when she's nervous.

"I'll buzz you in." The woman grinned. She was a new receptionist. A redheaded one. She remembered her from a week ago. She nearly walked in on the two fucking, but she ducked beneath the window sill before they noticed her. "He'll see you in a few minutes."

Of course, someone who has been married for twenty four years and has three kids should be giving therapeutic advice and counseling to a nearly eighteen year old girl with coping issues. 

"Cool." AJ mumbled, glancing at her name tag. "Thanks, Wendy." She began walking to his door as she heard the Wendy's low voice into the speaker.

"Alice Clover is here to see you."

A buzz and an open door was the reply.

-

"And how does that make you feel?" Mark Morgan asked, clipboard in one hand with a pen in the other.

"I don't know." AJ shrugged. There was that phrase again. He gave her a look, clicked his tongue and scribbled something down. She didn't feel right. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I feel defeated. His death fucked me up, it fucked up a lot of people. I keep getting told that I'm not the only one who lost him. Don't people think I know that? I do! You know why?"

Her therapist didn't reply. He was shocked by her outburst.

"Because everyone tells me that! They forget but do I? No, I don't. Because they won't let me! I feel confused with why he did it, bored with every guy trying to ease themself into my life."

"That's-"

"Understandable, I know. I've actually started going to visit him. I cried on his grave last week. The groundskeeper had to call my mother to come get me. He didn't say anything, just that it was chilly and I shouldn't be out."

"Okay."

AJ huffed. "No, not okay. It sucks. Everyone is coping but me."

"And why is that?"

"You know why it is you piece of fucking garbage!" AJ snapped. "He was the love of my life and he killed himself!"

This was when AJ stood, grabbed her tattered messenger's bag and stormed out. All the while Dr. Morgan was chasing after her, shouting for her to calm down. Slow down so they could talk.

AJ ran to the cemetery and didn't stop til she reached William's grave. She collapsed on top of the pale green grass and let out a sob, her head gently hitting the tombstone.

Every single grave in the cemetery had bright green grass atop it. William's had pale grass. Faded colors were in box-like form on his grave, surrounding it, encasing it. Replacing bright, pastel colors with dark, grim ones.

AJ cried for a while. Something she couldn't exactly do for an entire year. She couldn't really figure out how. Until today, obviously. As if the mood was a trigger, there was a sudden crack of thunder and it began to pour rain upon her.

But she didn't care.

For once, she didn't care about the coldness. She didn't care that she could stay out in the cold, wet rain and probably get sick. She genuinely wished for it to happen. Which is why when she stood and began to trudge home, she walked slowly. She enjoyed the coldness of it. She enjoyed seeing her breath hang in there air as a white fog before disappearing entirely. 

AJ was happy with it, in a morbid way. Cars passed her, the people inside excited and desperate to get home. She walked close to the curb so she could get splashed by the forming puddles as cars sped by. She even walked in the middle of the road, wishing for a car to hit her.

But none did. Even as she was increasingly cold and felt like frost was laying an icy blanket over her... Something else was keeping her warm. Like a little fire in her heart. Something that just blinked on.

But it felt almost as if it had never blinked out. It had never been extinguished. It had just been covered for a little while.

AJ glanced up at the gray, grim, and wet sky. She looked up at it and she did something she hadn't properly done in a year. 

She smiled. 

Because she knew he was out there.

Beyond the gray sky, William was smiling back.

That's all she needed. That's all she wanted. That's all she asked for. 

And she finally got it.


End file.
